Blinded by the Light
by Boooyakasha
Summary: Fireworks can be beautiful but they can also be lethal -as the musketeers soon find out when they are ordered to supervise entertainment for their majesties on New Years Eve. When Athos is accidentally blinded, the four brothers endure a long emotional and somewhat humorous journey to recovery to see if they can piece their leader back together.
1. Outdoor Detail

**I realize that I had mentioned I would write my next fic as an Athos x Milady plot****…****but I have pushed that forwards slightly so I may focus on this happier, more humorous story-Though it still has Athos as the main character.**

**I felt we should stay merry in merry times and didn****'****t want to taint that so I hope you can forgive me ;) Here you go, hope you like it!**

From the heavens above, millions of twinkling stars shone down on the glowing city of Paris, while its unaware citizens continued in their merry festivities of the holiday season, singing carols hand in hand at open bonfires and drinking away the night as they approached the coming new year with feelings of hope and glee.

For the kings' musketeers this merry evening was also in full swing, if not a little more subdued and controlled out of their respect for their royal majesties of France.

As was expected, King Louis the XIII had arranged a royal celebration for the evening, inviting family, friends and noble guests to join him in merriment and welcoming the new year with a spectacularly awe invoking fireworks display, a magical spectacle that was becoming increasingly popular.

Of course to hold such an event demanded the presence of the kings best, most skilled fighters in all of the land, and who better could he ask for protection than the royal musketeer regiment. And so as it was decreed, the musketeers departed for the royal event.

" Do you think we'll be allowed to eat anything this time, Athos?" Porthos questioned hungrily from atop his mount as they travelled the short distance to the palace grounds, his bushy brows knitting together in concern over the well being of his stomach.

Rolling his eyes in exasperation Athos answered, " I very well doubt that the king would refuse his men at least one beverage on the last evening of the year, Porthos-" he began dryly.

Seeing Porthos preparing to add his gleeful sentiments of satisfaction and plans for the evening, Athos abruptly cut him off, "-however, this does _not _mean you are allowed to over indulge yourself in wine, brothers, as we must stay alert for any and all threats that may present themselves" he warned.

Taking the pains to twist in his saddle, Athos eyed each of his brothers in turn and locking onto their eyes with a steady gaze, daring them to challenge his wishes. Seeming content with Aramis nod of consent and D'artagnan serious expression, Athos returned to his forward facing position once more, hoping that they would at least consider his orders this time so they would at least feel guilty when something undoubtedly went wrong eventually.

Though where Aramis and D'artagnan had been easy- and wise- to accept their brothers advice, Porthos rose to the challenge, assuming a defensive position and matter-of-factly stated, "Well, that's fine and all, Athos, but I promise you now, I ain't staying sober for all seven hours of our duty tonight. That's just sad- and wasteful!"

Resisting the urge to clap a palm to his face - or better yet, slap Porthos with his leather glove- Athos merely shook his head and sighed quietly, too tired to argue with his brothers lack of foresight, continuing to ride up the gradual grassy embankment to the gates of the palace.

This was going to be a long night.

At the doors, the musketeers were greeted by their Captain who for once, seemed to be happy or at least hopefully for the evening ahead.

"Evening gentlemen" he stated warmly, his face merry as he gestured them inside to where it was warmer, " I trust you had a pleasant ride?" he mocked as he saw the weary expression on Athos' face, patting him on the shoulder as he lead them through the crowd of guests.

Taking it for sincerity, Aramis replied, "Why yes, thank you captain. I noticed that the stars are most beautiful tonight- and I may have even glimpsed a shooting star on our trek here" he added with a smile.

Rolling his eyes, D'artagnan butted in " Are you sure that was a shooting star, brother?" he asked seriously, the question catching Aramis off guard, curiosity written across his face as Athos shot a pleading look back at his young protégé.

'Do not finish that sentence' his eyes seemed to say, but D'artagnans youth left him ignorant of most advice, this moment being no different.

"-Its more likely that you're seeing things -due to your old age, Aramis. Its okay, it happens to the best of us" he finished quickly before rushing off ahead of Treville to escape Aramis.

Highly self conscious of his looks to begin with, Aramis was highly insulted by D'artagnans barb and began to take off after him, muttering something about 'demonstrating how the elderly teach manners' as he raced passed causing Porthos to laugh heartily.

Treville shook his head at the common mischievous nature of his men, he knew without a doubt that this little display of trading insults would only escalate-as it always did- over the evening until something outrageously disastrous happened.

It was a good job he was putting his men on outdoor duty where they could aid with the setting up of the firework show -unbeknownst to them.

Surely, their bickering could do nobody any harm at the far end of the majesties' lawn, in the dark, beneath the dead winter birches- where nobody could see or hear them.

It was perfect Treville thought with a grin, escorting somewhat bewildered and then unhappy musketeers onto the back steps of the palace and instructing them to get to work before walking back into the warmth of the indoors.

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**Action packed chapter next!**


	2. Disaster Strikes

**Thanks for the kind review/followers and general support! Here****'****s the next chapter as promised!**

Chapter 2: And So It Began

It was while they were loading gun powder and coloured canisters into shoots that Athos finally understood why Treville had been so happy, leaving him feeling slightly offended and yet completely understanding.

Athos sighed as he fumbled another cold canister into the shoot, leaving the fuse unlit so it would be ready for later. He wished he'd known they were going to be put on this duty, he had left his gloves in his saddle bags for appearance purposes and now his fingers were freezing on the icy metal.

"Oy, who's stole my green canister?" a red guard yelled, snapping Athos from his thoughts as he watched the flustered man search the muddy ground for the firework before his accusing eyes rested on his rivals, the musketeers.

"Probably up your arse" Porthos fired back as he inserted a green canister into a tube, "you're always sitting down playing checkers with your girlfriends, who knows when you lodged it up your backside-" he added, the mans face taking on brighter shades of red as he began to approach menacingly, friends at his sides.

"-Don't ask me to check for you though-" Porthos continued aware of the upcoming brawl, "-I wouldn't want to go blind from all that shit you produce all day long" he finished, a wicked grin taking over his features as he cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders, standing to oppose the first red guard.

Dropping their task to the ground, Aramis and D'artagnan rushed to Porthos' rescue, not that he needed it) and began taking on the men at his back while he continued to drop each guard, one by one, with a single blow.

Meanwhile Athos merely stood by and admired the view, ready to intervene if he should feel it _necessary_, which he didn't.

As time wore on, Athos began to tire from his amusement at seeing his brothers kicking the snot from their rivals, the red guards, and began to step forward to assume control of the situation.

They _did _have a display to prepare after all, and though this was highly satisfying to watch, it would not feel nearly so satisfying under the heated glares of the king should they not complete their tasks.

Stepping forward into the brawl Athos began manhandling guards from musketeers and standing them offside, freezing them with a glare that swore of severe punishments if they join the fight again.

In one particular case, Athos thought he may have to physically restrain a young guard to the sidelines, his stubbornness to remain in the fight causing him to strike out at Athos with all his might.

Unfortunately for the guard, Athos was a skilled fighter and so it took no effort to simply sidestep the boys blow and watch as he lost his balance to plant his face in the mud by his feet.

Shaking his head in disappointment as the red guards failed to hold back snickers over the misfortune of their youngest, he stepped back into the brawl and continued pulling fist from face and foot from stomach.

This turned out to be a mistake in judgement however, as the humiliated youth boiled in rage at his clumsiness and the musketeers smugness.

Acting on pure heated emotions, the boy struggled to his feet and stomped over to a bundle of canisters, turning them slightly in the mud to face the direction of the brawl.

A mad gleam in his eyes, the boy rifled through his filthy pockets and produced a match, striking it and lighting the fuses.

In a matter of seconds the lawn became alight with colourful, fiery ribbons, bursting out from their canisters at top speeds and shooting out across the lawn.

Sounds topping the tremendous volumes of thunder crackled across the small area, filling it in a smoky haze as yet more fireworks continued to light and set off.

By now, the brawl was long abandoned and each man was scrambling away from the scene as best he could navigate, terrified for his life at the ungodly powers seemed to be contained within the small, seemingly innocent canisters.

It was to their joint misfortune that at that moment, a box of canisters was set alight and let its packages loose with an almighty roar, exploding upon the ground with such force, sound and colour that everyone within a fifteen foot radius was blown off their feet, blinded and deafened all at once.

Though it felt like forever, the disaster was soon over, as the fireworks depleted themselves, the smoking hanging thickly over the lawn as if to suggest final slumber and peace.

As the guards collected themselves, Porthos pushed himself to his feet, coughing harshly into his fist from his smoke filled lungs and staying bent over as to steal the remaining oxygen close to the wet grass.

His eyes filled with tears, Aramis spotted his brother raise from the ground, his face covered in soot and his black hair sticking out in all directions.

He would have laughed at D'artagnans appearance was it not for the simple fact that he would most likely look the same if not worse.

Glancing around, he spotted Porthos now stumbling over to his side, a more than thunderous look on his face over the cowardly attack.

He seemed to be wanting some revenge, Aramis pondered, but with the evening now a ruin and his captain and king most likely racing over to chop off their heads- or something of the sort- he doubted his brother would be able to act in time.

Clapping a hand on D'artagnans shoulder and guiding him to meet Porthos, Aramis suddenly noticed that their brother Athos was nowhere to be seen.

Stopping abruptly, Aramis squinted hard through the surrounding smoke, eventually crouching on the grass in hopes of seeing under its thick walls rather than through it, until eventually he spotted an unmoving leather uniform near the burning sticks of kindling-the only clue that there had once stood many crates of fireworks.

**Sorry guys, I have to cut this chapter here otherwise it would be waaaay to long, so sorry about the unintended cliff hanger! **

**Please leave a review to let me know what you think!**

**Until next time!**


	3. Fallen Soldier

**Thanks for the motivational reviews and follows! You guys rock! I hope you****'****re enjoying the story so far, here****'****s the next chapter!**

His mind fearing the worst, Aramis suddenly bolted over to Athos' side, his worried glances causing his brothers to follow his hastily fleeing form through the smoke, lest they lose sight of him.

All was revealed when they came to rest beside Athos, his blackened face and body suggesting he had suffered at the brunt of the fireworks display though they could see no outward injuries.

Clearly however, something was wrong, as even injured, Athos could accomplish impossible feats, pushing his mind past the pain to do what no other could.

So to see him unmoving and quiet had Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan terrified to their cores, kneeling by his side, their slightly trembling limbs patting him softly in hopes of awakening him while they propped his head up against Aramis knees to offer _some _comfort..

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?" a booming voice demanded from behind the fog, D'artagnans head whipping up at the new threat as his brothers continued to try and rouse Athos.

Slowly but surely, Treville's form began to appear as if by magic from the grey walls of air, several unhappy musketeers tailing him closely as he spotted the foursome on the grass and briskly marched over, his usually lax face now wrinkled in outrage, his eyes wild.

It was D'artagnan who scrambled to his feet to meet Treville as he stopped suddenly before them, seemingly unaware of Athos lying much too still behind his kneeling brothers.

"Sir, it was an accident! Please allow me to explain-" D'artagnan pleaded hastily, arms braced upwards as if it would console the man.

"NO. I WILL NOT HEAR OF ANY EXCUSES!" Treville boomed, causing D'artagnan to flinch and capturing the attention of Porthos who slowly stood to his feet.

"You all had ONE task. ONE TASK. And yet _somehow _you managed to disobey my direct orders while simultaneously OBLITERATING the majesties property _and _firework display!" Treville barked, each word feeling like a punch to the gut for young D'artagnan.

He'd never felt so ashamed in his entire life, his eyes downcast to the darkened grass as his stomach tied itself in knots.

"And perhaps what's worse is _now _there will be NO main event for the **200 **awaiting guests -who have journeyed long and hard to get here for such a one time occasion as the new year." he continued, beginning to pace furiously.

"The king will no doubt lose what little amount of respect and credibility he has gained from his partners' -since it would seem he is incapable of organizing a simple festive party let alone government treaty!" Treville continued, shouting aloud more to his own ears now than his frightened men.

"If nothing else, he will be _enraged _at the musketeers regiment for such an embarrassing disaster!" Treville roared, as his pacing came to a halt so he could eye his men for the first time.

Faltering slightly at the sight of Aramis attending to a clearly unconscious Athos -yet attempting to remain furious at their unforgivable failures, Treville gruffly implored a brief "What has happened to him?" his eyes resting on the medical musketeer for an answer.

Refusing to meet his eyes and continuing to scrub the soot from Athos' face Aramis stated, "He was caught in the final explosion and has thus been unresponsive to my attempts to rouse him." Aramis began professionally, prying Athos' eyelids up to examine his unfocused pupils.

"-So far, I have seen no damage -bar the minor burn marks on his temple and the knot on his head. I am hoping it is only these injuries that prevent him from waking" Aramis concluded, closing Athos' eyes when he had seemed to find what he was looking for.

Treville sighed, anger replacing itself with tiredness and worry as he looked over Athos for himself.

The man didn't seem to be hurt too badly as Aramis suggested, if anything he was lucky to be unaware while he reprimanded those responsible.

"Fine, I want you to get him back to the garrison and have him looked at. You two-" he pointed at Porthos and D'artagnan, "-join him, and don't even think about showing your faces outside those walls until I personally see to you later. I will deal with this disaster from here on out" he finished grimly, looking around at the kindling that his other men were now gathering together.

Bowing guiltily, Porthos and D'artagnan quickly departed from the scene and aided Aramis in carrying Athos back to their horses, holding him up awkwardly in his saddle so that he may not injure himself further as they began the long trek home.

**Seems they****'****re all having a horrible night! And Athos is still down for the count!**

**Next chapter will get to the heart of this story! Please leave a review!**


	4. Blind

**So im now far ahead of you all, once again, and thought it polite to add this looong chapter****…**

***I realize I have posted this under humour (as well as drama) but that is far off yet! This chapter focuses on Athos****'**** heartbreaking introduction to his blindness and how he will react...as you may guess *sad face*****…**

**By the way, Italicized= thoughts, just so you know!**

**Anyway, onwards!**

When Athos awoke, his felt as if his head had been kicked in by a horse and stepped on a few times.

Shifting in attempt to relieve some pressure off his stiff neck, a sharp pain suddenly burned along the back of his head.

Gasping in pain, Athos let out a low groan- or at least he had meant to -as he realized that his throat had become so dry that his mouth had become a desert and closed up, offering no escape for any noise, of any kind.

Not even his worst hangovers could come close to this pulsating agony, he hadn't even the strength in his arms to put his hands to his head to massage the stress away.

Hearing muffled voices off to his left, Athos began to set about the task of lifting his heavy eyelids, while his brain worked on conjuring what had put him in such an ungraceful position.

…_New years, setting fire works, red guards, __**explosion**__!_

Athos' eyes flew wide with worry upon this realization, his worry mounting as his eyes revealed nothing but blackness.

_Was it still night? _Athos pondered, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

_But there were no stars__…_Athos attempted to slowly shift his painfully beating head to look to his right and spot an object, any object, that would be outlined by the moonlight to ground himself.

There was nothing. He couldn't even feel the wind on his face.

_Perhaps I am indoors?__…_he contemplated hopefully.

But even if there was no candle lit, surely he would see the walls basked in the light filtering through a window?

Still nothing.

Blinking rapidly, desperate to clear his seemingly shrouded vision from the eternal blackness, Athos' chest tightened in on itself as if a vice had gripped him, a sudden dark thought dominating his thoughts.

_Have I been buried alive!? _

Had his friends believed him dead and put him six feet under the earth?

_Had Aramis not checked on his health to shook by grief and simply announced his demise?!_

Athos flailed his limbs around- even if they were somewhat sluggish- to escape his wooden tomb, hoping to latch onto _anything _that could ground his drowning mind before he lost his wits entirely.

" 'thos" murmured a husky voice nearby.

Athos jumped slightly at its closeness, now shifting away, frightened.

"Shh, Athos calm down, its okay" another voice pleaded.

It sounded familiar, but Athos could no trust what he could not see.

"Athos, please stop, you'll hurt yourself" the voice pleaded again, soothingly, this time causing him to relax instinctively, he knew that voice.

" 'ramis?" he struggled out around a swollen tongue, a hand coming to support his neck as he felt the tip of a glass touch against his bottom lip.

_A drink? _

It tipped and suddenly Athos felt his mouth being filled by a gloriously wet and cool liquid. _Water_!

When he was done drinking, the glass was magically removed -though to where he could not see.

Athos continued to search the darkness before him desperately, hoping to spot his dear friend and brother, Aramis -though admittedly he would have been just as overjoyed to spy an object through this gloom, even the leg of a chair would be admirable!

_Was that too hard to ask for? Apparently so._

Breathing heavily Athos panted, "Where am I brother? And why cant I see?" his final answer being significantly more important than what had occurred after the disaster at the palace.

The eerie silence he was met with caused Athos to go cold as he was once again cast back into the darkness without a lifeline.

He wanted to cry, but still, he held strong. _He may not be the only one doomed to this fate and so he must stay strong, for his brothers!_

A hand grasped his shoulder suddenly and Athos almost jumped a foot in the air, the arm retreating as suddenly as it had appeared, an apology rising from the depths again.

"Athos?" a voice ventured.

_It was the gruff one again, Porthos!_

Athos' heart leapt as his recognized his brother was at his side. Suddenly there was hope that they could conquer this darkness together. _They had never been defeated when they stood together, they would not fail now!_

Athos turned his head in the direction of the voice by way of answer, gripping the invisible sheets that seemed to surround him with such intensity that his knuckles turned white in colour.

"Brother, what do you mean you cannot see?" Porthos questioned, his voice holding a quality of disbelief and hurt in it that made Athos feel lost.

Athos grasped at straws. _What did they expect of him? Were they not in the same state as him? _

His mouth opened and shut a few times as his eyes began to well with tears uncontrollably.

_They had been spared! Thank the lord! At least they were not forced to suffer this fate!_

"No, Athos, don't cry, everything will be okay" Aramis started, an unseen hand coming to embrace him suddenly. He flinched at first but soon he lay into the embrace and hugged back. _This was __**terrifying**__._

He felt fingers running through his hair, searching, until he winced in pain when they brushed over the large lump on the back of his head.

"Must have hit your head harder than I thought" Aramis murmured, a note of regret in his voice, the bed creaking as he leant back from Athos- _no doubt a hand to his beard in speculation _Athos thought.

"It appears I have mistaken my original prognosis, brothers-" Aramis began cautiously, "-I feel that Athos _may _be suffering from what seems to be… temporary blindness" he finished quietly.

Athos' mind suddenly set aflame with the overwhelming thoughts that flooded in as he heard his brothers statement.

BLIND.

_He had gone blind. Was he now useless? Surely he could not be a musketeer if he could not see! He was lost to the world, forever dependent on others. A cripple. Now only a lowly drunk who had passed had overstayed his welcome on society and would be replaced by another man, one more worthy. _

His mind reeled and he suddenly retched, hands patting his back comfortingly, soothing voices that he could no longer hear. _He was blind_.

And with that thought, Athos fell into another type of darkness, one without pain or fear but peace as he lost consciousness in the arms of his brothers.

**AWWWWW *sad face* I hated to have to do this to him! I actually love Athos, but for reasons unknown, I like whump, so this is the product! Hope you guys liked it!**

**Please leave a review if you can- this chapter was hard to write believe it or not! Haha, anyways, until next time my friends! **


	5. Breaking Point

**Heart felt thanks to those of you have left kind reviews and follows of this story, you keep me motivated! Here****'****s the next chapter! **

Chapter 5: Breaking Point

It had been horrific to witness, as Athos seemed to lose his wits upon awakening in his bed back at the garrison, surrounded by worried brothers.

As he had shaken his head violently and flailed his limbs stiffly, Aramis heart had frozen thinking his brother was having a seizure. As it turned out, it was much worse than that.

As the seconds wore on and Athos continued his charade of peering straight through Aramis at the foot of the bed and then peering through Porthos and D'artagnan present on either side of him, Aramis' blood ran cold.

His brother could not see.

He must have gone blind -the swelling from the bump on the back of his head seeming to be the cause of it- or so he hoped, with all his might. Only time would tell.

His reality began to shatter as his brother drowned in his darkest fears before his own eyes, unable to touch him for he was now afraid of his own skin.

It hurt beyond agony to see him like this, so unlike the solid, fearless leader each brother knew him to be, now a vulnerable, defenceless child.

Tears came to his own eyes when Athos could no longer contain his range of emotions over his medical prognosis, while Porthos and D'artagnan reeled in the shock of it all, trying to offer Athos some comfort to Athos with physical contact before suddenly he fell limp.

Now, left alone to each owns thoughts, the silence was suffocating.

If Athos did not regain his sight, well, then Aramis did not know what to do.

_They would unquestioningly follow him, protect him and support him but it would become a might more difficult if he would not hear them through what would surely become a miserable life _Aramis pondered despairingly.

Biting his lip and rubbing a hand through his untamed hair, Aramis risked a teary glance at Porthos to find his brother was already watching him, an expression of agony written clearly on his face.

D'artagnan was already crying at this point, silent tears streaking down his face.

He had always been one to show the most emotion -rather than bottling down or hiding it like the others- for it was his strength and innocence in youth that prevented him from feeling shame at sharing his woes, his brother now lost in darkness while he could do nothing to help.

Seeing their need to be strong, Aramis rose up to the plate, walking to the centre of the group back to the foot of the bed where Athos lay unnaturally still.

It somehow felt unnerving and plain wrong to Aramis now that he followed what would have been Athos' next steps in the matter, consoling his brothers and providing them purpose and strength. _Still it had to be done_.

"This is only _temporary _my brothers, it shall not last forever!" Aramis reminded them confidently, "-If the injury was meant to be permanent, then surely, Athos would not have awoken only hours afterwards" Aramis finished, trying to seek comfort in his own shaky words.

Porthos looked up at him, "But how can you be _sure_? He told us he cant SEE, Aramis. If he cannot see now, how is he to recover and gain back his sight?"

It was a hard question to answer, one Aramis did not know al the answers to.

He saw D'artagnan was looking up at him now too, seeking the comfort he had promised when he began his 'strong' speech.

Aramis felt like crying when he saw the desperate look of hope on D'artagnans youthful face, making him look even younger so, as he wiped his running nose on his sleeve, sniffling slightly.

"With a lot of rest, full meals, optimism and support" Aramis ventured. _He knew they would help Athos with his condition, but would it be enough?_

His brothers didn't look convinced at this but hadn't the heart or strength to state otherwise, clinging to the hope that perhaps Aramis had some weight to his theories.

Sighing, Aramis held a hand to the back of his neck to tame the hairs pricking up in his emotional turmoil, looking back to the bed to think over a more solid reply just as the door flew open.

In entered Treville, looking burnt out by the evenings events and then taken aback by the mental state of his men, looking to Athos who seemed to be the answer for their collective woes.

The night was long and hard for each man, Treville slowly forgetting his anger as he felt pity and concern for his fallen man until they all sat once again in silence as they pondered how they would approach each day from here on out, wondering what tomorrow alone may bring.

This was the worst new years day any of them had had the misfortune of enduring, each man hoping to the lord above that he may allow them one wish, a wish to restore Athos back to them in good health.

Hopefully their prayers would be answered, but only time would tell.

**There****'****s that time thing again, it really does hold some power doesn****'****t it: the power to forgive, forget, heal, provide hope but simultaneously provoke despair, depression, spiralling illness****'**** and threaten death *sad face***

**Let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!  
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**Until next time! **


	6. An Unexpected Journey

**Thanks to the kind and loving support as usual- and to the guests whom I wasn****'****t notified by fanfic, but found during a cursory email check- thank you for your support! It means the world to me!**

**Hopefully I haven****'****t left you waiting for too long, we had a power cut at around noon and the wifi refused to connect for a few hours-leaving me to keep writing but unable to update. Aaaanyways, I'm sure you want to read now, so here****'****s the next chapter!**

As it turned out, the morning brought a somewhat more endurable atmosphere than the night before as Athos had mentally prepared himself this time to deal with his blindness, even if it may only be temporary.

As they ate breakfast in the silence of Athos' bedroom, Treville stepped back into the room, his appearance suggesting he had not slept these past two days.

"I am sorry to intrude but I must ask of you men to accompany me back to the palace. Our presence has been requested by our majesty, King Louis" his expression seemed grim at this, the room becoming tense once more.

"But sir, we cannot leave Athos here" Porthos stated somewhat angrily, "-not now" he whispered.

But Athos had heard it, his stoic expression flickering slightly to that of despair before returning back to its seemingly 'non-caring" façade.

However it was Athos' inability to _stop _spooning porridge into his mouth hastily that gave away his true emotions.

Nobody spoke of it, and since Athos couldn't see they had noticed, they continued their slowly simmering conversation.

"I understand Porthos, and that is why Athos is coming with us" Treville stated firmly.

Everyone in the room froze at this order, even Athos, his spoon suspended in the air between mouth and bowl while everyone else's eyes stared blankly at their captain.

"Come again?" D'artagnan asked heatedly, not waiting for a reply he continued, "Has Athos not given enough already? Can he not be excused from this punishment, surely he deserves better!" D'artagnan by now had travelled the small space across the room to stand defiantly between Treville and Athos, mere inches from the captains face.

Athos' heart swelled painfully with a mixture of emotions at hearing this, _how could his brother still care for his worthless hide, surely he was not worth it now. _

_But his words spoken before had proven otherwise. _

Pride broke forth in Athos' chest giving him reborn strength of mind and an inch of confidence. _He was not alone in this_, he reminded himself optimistically.

Treville refused to give ground despite the menacing glare he was receiving from D'artagnan, the young gascons motives seemingly mirrored in Porthos' rigid stance by Athos' bedside.

"I assure you I have done all that I can to prevent this. I am merely the messenger here. I would never ask an injured man to venture anywhere" Treville stated, D'artagnans' anger ebbing somewhat at the honesty he felt in the statement.

Aramis rested his hands on his hips, stepping forth once again, " So what do you suggest we do?"

All eyes, bar Athos', sought the captains. He had better say the right thing here. _They were all testing his honour in this moment and he did not want to lost the trust of his friends _Treville acknowledge, feeling his throat tighten.

"We will _all _visit the king as requested" he repeatedly solidly. His duty was first to king and country, not friends- however he may be judged for it. He had already fought on Athos' behalf -voicing more than a few daring words to the mans face- but it had gotten him nowhere.

_On the bright side, a short journey about town may clear the men__'__s minds and allow Athos to become better adjusted to learning this temporary way of life. He could certainly do with the practise he was offering him, the end goal of independence and confidence being within his grasp should he persevere _Treville thought, hopefully.

Treville stated as such to his men as soon as he had concluded his thoughts- if not so bluntly- and awaited their response.

After a moment of sulking the brothers begrudgingly considered the sincerity of his promises, feeling half inclined to accept them out of pure desperation for Athos.

Moments went by until finally each man was dressed and ready to see the king. Athos had to be guided by hand from his bed to the door by D'artagnans smaller frame, leading him clumsily down the stairs and out the door into the brisk morning light- at least Athos assumed it was morning due to the fewer sounds.

Stumbling once every few feet he continued to follow D'artagnan, trusting the boy would not lead him into a puddle or patch of ice.

It was an unnerving feeling, being open in the elements and yet completely unable to see.

_Almost like a cruel, perverse game of some kind_ Athos thought, one of which he wanted to end immediately.

Mounting a horse was an entirely new ball game for the experienced musketeer as he held his foot aloft as high as he could put it towards where he assumed the stirrup would hang and ended up kicking his horse lightly, causing it to whine.

D'artagnan went to comfort Athos' horse as Porthos bent over and guided Athos' foot into the stirrup, making a joke out of animal cruelty as he did so to show Athos he felt he was being no burden.

It seemed to work as he saw the half smirk on Athos' face for a half second, grinning along with him as he plodded back over to his own mount, giving Athos some independence.

However, once he had pulled himself up and swung his other leg over his mount, Athos began to feel queasy.

_It felt as if he were now balanced atop a chair on his horse, a most ridiculous notion and yet he felt it fitting. Though he could not see, the new unsteady motions that accompanied height and motion were now playing cruel mind tricks, ones he wished he could stop. _

Athos leant into his mounts' neck slightly, as if he were riding fast -this new posture providing a more secure sense of balance. He then awaited for the sounds that cued his brothers had mounted before feeling the tug of his own horse as it was slowly guided by the reigns tied to the back of Aramis' mount.

Athos was not looking forward to this.

**I don****'****t know about you but I feel sorry for Athos****'**** predicament here, I have been disoriented many a time by a blindfold in childish games of grounders (a version of hide and seek where you may open your eyes to seek players on the ground but seal them shut when you seek them on suspended park equipment). **

**It is most unnerving not to know where your next foot will fall, not to mention nauseating and dizzying.**

**Aaaaaanyways, I hope you liked it! The kings reaction is up next, anyone want to guess how it will turn out-its probably not what you think! Haha**

**Please leave a review! Thanks!**


	7. An Unexpected-ly nauseating- Journey

**Thank you all your kind words of support once again, here****'****s the next chapter!**

Only 20 minutes had passed before they reached the palace gates, but to Athos it felt like he had endured an hour.

His senses so much more alert to that of smell, touch and sound that together, it had created a nauseating ride to say the least -feeling every unseen bump, every sudden jolt and then mix that with the aromas of newly baked bread of the morning and it almost proved too much for his stomach.

As they dismounted, Athos had to be helped down once more, steadied by one of his brothers arms as he began to list sideways suddenly.

When he had regained what was left of his tattered senses to know which way was up and down, his arms were released and he was left to tie his horse before following their jingling footfalls to the doors.

From here, the five men walked into what Athos sensed was the sweet smelling ballroom that the grand front doors opened up to upon entrance.

The quick pace Treville paced set soon caused Athos to feel as if they were walking in a directionless pattern, the palace he once knew now feeling much larger than he originally thought, while their footsteps continued to echo off the marble floors and walls.

Walking on carpet proved much more frightening, Athos found, since not being able to hear where you feet stood -nor the persons in front of you- _could _mean he had the smallest chance of walking right down a flight of stairs or topple over a balcony railing.

He slowed his pace instinctively at this alarming thought, unable to overcome his fears of what lay in front of his face. Athos hated it.

"Enter!" a shrill voice suddenly called.

_King Louis_, Athos detected. _He seemed annoyed, but then again, when was he not,_ he almost grinned at this but suppressed it, this was not the place nor time.

Entering into what he assumed was the royal meeting chambers- consisting of a wide open space, large windows on the left and a small wooden desk and chair towards the back of the room- the five men aligned themselves and stood to attention, staring straight ahead and for once, Athos blended in.

" As you may know, I am here to discuss the disastrous events of last night!" the king ranted, "I simply cannot _believe _that your men ruined my firework display!" the king whined/roared.

_He had never had much of an intimidating voice, _Athos thought. _At least I am finding some humour in this _he added silently.

And so the lecture began, Louis prattling on, flailing his golden laced arms around to emphasize his points, voice ranging from harsh to high pitch in disbelief, face becoming red until it verged on purple.

The men stood to attention and endured it all, waiting for the final blow that would come with the kings decision.

Treville bowed when it seemed the king could rant no further- most likely due to the lack of oxygen now left in the room.

"Again, I apologize profusely, your majesty. I will make sure no one smokes near such a flammable area again" he promised.

Flinching slightly, the musketeers managed to hold onto their surprise of Captain Trevilles' bold lie. He was saving them from the proverbial fire. He must be a friend after all.

Whirling around, the king eyed Treville and weighed the value of his promise.

_He __**had **__always been an honest man, a little pestering about his safety at times and more than a little overbearing. But he had __**never **__done him wrong._

The king sighed, he felt so tired after having to apologize to every individual guest last night and offering new, much more boring entertainment, despite this, _somehow _they had managed to keep it together.

Looking over the tired expression of his men, King Louis felt the smallest pangs of sympathy, they too seemed to be just as tired as he was. _What an awful new years party _he concluded.

Pinching the bridge of his nose lightly, Louis suddenly stated, "Alright Treville, see to it that you hold your word this time… I believe that you are a man of your word, so do not disappoint me- else there will have to be severe consequences next time -for both you and your men." And with that he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

There was an audible releasing of held breath as the footsteps faded, each musketeer not believing their luck in the matter. _Perhaps this was the start of their wishes being answered _D'artagnan thought_._

_Hopefully this wish fulfillment thing would continue _Aramis prayed silently, as they all turned from the stuffy room and lead Athos back down the winding corridors to his mount, and from there, back to the garrison.

Athos looked positively green by the time they had reached the stables and had to sit for ten minutes in the hay, not wanting to move in the slightest lest he lose his porridge.

Treville nodded his thanks which they each returned for his protective lies, and then, departed, the brothers staying by the stables until Athos was ready to move.

When they finally did, it was to the closest inn with wine, a treat for Athos' hard work, who now seemed to want to be as far away from the confines of his bed, despite Aramis pleas to regain his strength, horizontally.

Ever so slowly, the brothers began to shed their layers of intense worry until it had dulled to a bothersome, unresolved conflict in the back of their minds- the wine probably having some part in this.

As Porthos and Aramis continued to drink and play cards, D'artagnan busied his mind with his ramblings to Athos, the man he felt closest too.

He was determined not to let his friend and brother feeling left out, as tiresome as that may be, and although he was sure Athos knew by now the cause for his talkative state -that focused on nothing in particular- he simply reclined in his seat and listened, a pleasant smile on his face for the first time since the accident.

**I will be posting a second chapter to this before the night is out, im hoping to get this all done before season 2 since if I want to watch it, I will become sidetracked with new ideas and possibly never finishing posting this one!  
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**Anyway let me know what you thought by leaving a review! Until next time!**


	8. Pranked

**Here****'****s a short chapter filled with humour while I edit chapter 9. **

**These chapters should begin flying off the proverbial hook within the next day as I am close to finishing and want to beat my deadline!**

**Hope you enjoy the ride in the mean time!**

Over the course of the next few days, the mood lightened considerably as the brothers became accustomed to helping Athos through the day and making it seem as normal as possible without making him feel ashamed or a burden as he often reminded them in the night.

Night was the only hiccup to overcome now, as it often proved to be more trying on Athos' mind due to his dependent nature on his brothers to fetch wine, a habitual night time activity for him- bringing shame and embarrassment thus causing his temper to flare of emotions of despair to arise.

But they all stood by his side still, convincing him he would come out of this victorious, reminding him of his strengths and values of how he had helped each of them through seemingly impossible, agonizing events in their own dark pasts.

It came down to the fact that Athos just had to be a little patient.

These words were easily enough said on the first nights, a comforting sentiment that held worries at bay.

By the fifth and sixth nights however, blindness was becoming an everyday activity and was seeming to wear on even Athos' seemingly unlimited supply patience, as each passing day provided no change.

This was ultimately the reason for D'artagnans genius, if not entertaining concoction of ideas, generated one night over a game of cards while Athos had taken to bed early, not wanting to socialize.

It began with simple pranks of slipping tea leaves into Athos' porridge on a morning, entertaining both the blind mans' mind with numerous questions as to 'what the cook had changed about the meal plan' instead of doom and gloom.

Meanwhile his brothers' watched for their own entertainment over Athos' serious contemplation of tea leaves.

From here the pranks escalated to gluing Athos' boots to the wooden floor with tar, mounting him on his horse backwards, stealing a ladies' handkerchief for use as toilet paper, ('dubbed the silky smooth manoeuvre prank' by D'artagnan) and replacing his beloved wine stash with that of a nauseating concoction of Aramis' -of which lead Athos back to the lavatory in a flurry.

There was no guilt over each ensuing prank as the four men gradually tipped Athos off on numerous occasions as to what had really transpired days ago, always causing him to frown at first before smiling and admitting he could not have avoided the opportunity had they switched roles.

Of course this lead to an even larger circle of questions for Athos as he now constantly questioned everything of every situation, trusting no ones answers and relying on only his senses to decipher whether he was being pranked or not.

Athos could live with it, it gave him something to do other than literally stare blankly at a wall as the day passed by.

Though he would not admit it, he was rather enjoying this humorous, week long break.

Athos couldn't even remember the last time he had been called off duty, his inability to rest his tortured mind leaving him constantly asking for tasks or on alert back at the garrison until he flooded his mind with wine.

_This was much more authentic and __…__.fun, _Athos smiled as the value of his words hit him.

…It turned out however that Athos would not be smiling for long, as the following day turned out to be the mother of all pranks to date- and one that slightly overstepped the boundaries from 'haha you got me' to 'you did not just do that, you're a dead man.'

It would no longer be time that tested Athos' patience but his mischievous brothers instead...

**Yay a cliff hanger! Any one want to take a guess!? Anyways, I had a lot of fun writing that one so I hope you liked it too!**

**Please leave a comment! I will post the next chapter again, shortly.**


	9. Athos the Purple

**Thank you for the lovely reviews- un-named or otherwise, faves and follows! As well as a greeting to those many visitors hiding just behind the sofa over there, yes I see you! haha- I hope you****'****re enjoying it too!**

**Here****'****s a really long chapter that I simply didn****'****t have the heart to cut up! Hope you enjoy the humour and eventual turmoil!**

No longer bothering to open his eyes, Athos rose from his bed and stretched out his stiff limbs. He had not slept so soundly as he had last night in the longest time and felt well rested and in an optimistic mood.

As per his now usual routine, Athos took a moment to steady his senses, listening through the morning noises for signs of his brothers- or more precisely, clues that they had set up some sort of deceiving prank or other.

Eventually, concluding he was by himself and their were no contraptions set up in his room, Athos quickly dressed himself and shuffled towards the door, keeping his boots in constant contact with the wood -as he had found wise after stepping in horse muck two days before- much to his brothers' glee and his misery.

Brushing his hands down either side of the wall, Athos ventured downstairs and upon counting his foot falls, took an immediate right for another ten paces before his hands caught ahold of the back of his wooden chair, a silent sigh of relief filling him as it did each time.

"Mornin' Athos, you're looking well this morning" Porthos commented from his side, the unmistakeable smell of his hearty breakfast of sausage and eggs lightening Athos' mood even more.

_He didn__'__t always get to enjoy such delicacies now that he was no longer a comte, but he didn__'__t necessarily miss it either _he countered.

"Thank you, brother, how very kind of you to notice" Athos jested as he took a heavy seat beside his friend and awaited his meal, an open smile on his face for once, feeling more than seeing his brother mirroring his expression across the table from him.

Familiar footsteps were heard from ahead of him then, coming from the kitchen, _no doubt Aramis with his breakfast _Athos guessed correctly.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of your greasy mop and toothy grin, Athos?" Aramis teased, a friendly smile on his rugged face as he set down Athos' breakfast before him.

Unbeknownst to Athos, Aramis suddenly shared a mischievous look with D'artagnan who was wandering over to join them from his place on the stairwell, book in hand as he unsuccessfully tried to learn Aramis medical craft.

_Besides, _D'artagnan mused, _that was no longer important. He wouldn__'__t want to miss what was about to happen__…_and with that he quickly sat down in the available chair across from his loving mentor, his youthful face lit up with excitement.

"As far as I know, it is not a crime to smile at your fellow man" Athos retorted with another smile, digging into his heavenly smelling breakfast as he heard his other brothers scrape their chairs back to sit beside him.

As they all ate heartily, the hairs on the back of Athos' neck began to prick suddenly, something was not right here.

_His brothers were simply being too quiet. _

_A mouth full of food had never stopped them from trying to continue their nattering conversations, this moment shouldn__'__t be any different._

Athos slowly lowered his fork to his plate, his brows knitting together as he tried to predict and hopefully avoid what his brothers had put in store for him.

_It had not been the meal obviously_, Athos' now attuned sense of smell and taste had told him as much… _and he couldn__'__t feel anything different about his clothes that may suggest something off._

Giving in, Athos sighed, his smile transforming into a frown, "Alright, out with it! Ahat have you done this time?" he addressed his brothers, folding his napkin into his fist and glaring at his brother -who by now it seemed had all finished their meals and sat secretly smiling at him.

It was an unnerving smile that they shared- much like coyotes spying a meal, with wide eyes and bared teeth as each man tried to contain their excitement over the day ahead.

Athos shook his head at the silence and reached for his glass, "Typical children" he muttered as he took a large sip, his mouth setting on fire as soon as he did so, causing him to eject it immediately in a spray all over the table and his brothers.

They shouted in protest at the backfiring first prank of the day as Athos flailed to steal another drink that would put out his burning tongue.

_Vinegar damn them, how could he be so blind! _Athos almost rolled his eyes at the ironic statement, but quickly pushed his thoughts aside as he finally grasped a hold of D'artagnans cup from his hand and downing its contents quickly.

Though he was relieved from the burning sensation that had claimed his tongue, the bitter taste of malt vinegar and milk now dominated his keen taste buds, drawing a look of revolt from his face and a cringing shiver from his body as he stuck out his tongue and scrunched his eyes tight.

_At least they were not laughing _the evil brutes Athos thought as he heard them angrily wiping down their faces and chests of vinegar lest it stain their leather uniforms.

Swiping his hat up from the table, Athos stood abruptly and announced that while his brothers deservingly took care of the mess here he would go rinse out his mouth.

He also hinted at the fact that for their apology he would be needing several buckets of warm water transported to his tub, intent on having a bath he had needed since four days ago.

Hearing the exasperation in their tones, knowing they would have to aid Athos either way due to his limited abilities, Athos smiled smugly and set off for the tub.

A short while later Athos was dressed anew, smelling clean and no doubt looking dapper, Athos' good mood restored itself once again.

_At least he had got his revenge on his brothers this time around. It didn__'__t feel nearly as awful to have been duped considering he had got them back immediately- even if it had been a reflex._

Unfortunately, what Athos didn't know was that his brothers had commenced to phase two of their pranks and had inserted wild berry juices into his warm tub of water -tainting the waters in purple- as it soon would to his skin.

Meanwhile they had used this time to their advantage and moved into the next room to rub these same dyes onto his boots, hat and gloves, giggling mischievously as they did so.

None felt guilty once again as they had already purchased Athos a new outfit for his birthday ahead and didn't mind destroying the old one that Aramis pointed out was due to meet its maker several months ago, though he was met with Athos' refusal to do so.

And so it seemed only fitting to punish Athos for his stubbornness by showing the rest of the town how important appearance could be when you didn't keep up with the standards.

Stepping out from the kitchen doors within the garrison and into the courtyard the four brothers headed for their stabled mounts, a smile on each of their faces- Athos' smile being smug but innocent while his brothers' held back their hysterics over his purple tainted appearance.

Setting off for their daily patrol- as per the only daily ritual they could manage together for Athos' sake- they began trotting down the streets, the civilians noticing with curiosity and then glee Athos' purple appearance.

It took an hour before Athos' heightened suspicions forced him to question his brothers antics once more, the snickering he was now constantly hearing and the allusive jeers from random people only adding to his queries.

"God damn it all, what have you done this time!" Athos demanded in a heated whisper feeling embarrassment over something he knew nothing of but clearly everybody else did, his cheeks becoming hot as he bowed his head to hide his face.

D'artagnan chuckled slightly before pulling his mount aside and moving over to Athos who had refused to go further.

They had almost returned back from their patrol at this point and could easily see the stables of the garrison ahead- or at least Porthos, Aramis and D'artagnan could, while Athos merely assumed they were in the city centre.

"We really got you good this time, Athos" D'artagnan supplied vaguely, offering up his hand so he could help his brother off his horse and walk him the rest of the way back, hidden by its flanks.

Athos slapped his hand away in a huff, "Really, well _I _for one do not find this the slightest bit amusing" Athos grated out, swinging a leg over his mount as he attempted to help himself down. _This stunt had gone too far._

Unfortunately for Athos, his one supporting foot slipped on the uneven, muddy ground as he stepped down gingerly- and as his first foot was still caught in the second stirrup- Athos lost his balance completely and ended up dumping himself into the mud puddle below, soiling his white breeches.

Citizens who had seen the fumble began to laugh outright at the purple musketeer covered in mud, to his further embarrassment, and began making a mockery of the scene, suggesting corny titles for this 'new, stylish trend.'

"How 'bout: 'Athos the Purple!'" one man called, nudging his fellow man in the rib humorously, "-You know, instead of 'Athos the Great" he chuckled, winking at the musketeers to whom did not return such pleasantries but thunderous scowls.

Looks of amusement now thoroughly wiped off their faces, the three brothers leapt from their idle positions to help Athos to his feet, who once again pushed them away, refusing help from his 'opponents.'

"Athos, brother, allow us to help you" Aramis pleaded, arms reaching out to Athos as he stumbled to stand.

Glaring over at Aramis- though it was in fact Porthos- Athos shook his head, "I trusted you, and yet I get this in return?" he said brokenly, gesturing to his piteous attire.

Athos quickly turned away, shoulders stiff in outrage, fists clenched in terror as he began to nervously pace forwards into the unknown, hoping to keep his balance.

_He would not ask for assistance, they had betrayed his faith. _

As of now Athos just wanted some time alone to process the humiliation and overcome it, he was much to emotionally compromised to even begin considering how to deal with his 'friends' actions at the moment.

He could hear the jingling spurs of his brothers following him closely behind, though at a cautious distance so as to give him space but able to help if need be.

It was on this short journey to the stables that Athos continued to review his brothers secretly.

_How could they have taken advantage of him to such an extent?_ _He wouldn__'__t have even considered doing this to one of them had their roles been reversed! It was manipulative and dishonourable, surely he had never made a mistake so great that it called for this?_

Though he was sure forgiveness was around the corner, Athos was too angry to relieve his brothers of their guilt and momentarily surprised to find himself in close proximity of what he sensed was the stables of the garrison.

Heading over cautiously, Athos lead his mount into the draw caverns of their home, tended to his mount while he fumed quietly, his brothers copying the process in silence, feeling their guilty eyes on his back from time to time.

_No! _Athos commanded himself_, He would not show them mercy so easily, he should let them stew in their misery for a while, as punishment for their behaviour. Perhaps then, this habitual pranking ritual would stop- or at least lessen in intensity! _He finished with finality, jaw locking in determination, scowl plastered across his ashen face.

Marching as confidently as he could, Athos stormed off towards his room while his brothers continued to watch his back from afar, a mix of guilt and slight astonishment at how adept and independent he was becoming.

It had been wrong to pursue this trickery, they knew that now. But the damage was already done.

The question was, was it too late to repair it?

**Yaaaaay cliff hanger!**

**I hope you liked both the angst & humour in this chapter, an unusual combination I****'****m sure haha. Let me know what you think about the turn of events! It must get worse before it gets better right?**

**Anyways, thanks for the support again, you guys are great! Until next time!**


	10. Enlightenment

**Thanks again to my lovely reviewers & followers!**

**Guest/Sarah -special thanks for your constant support and kind reviews! I wish I could reply to you but just know I appreciate them all the same!**

**Now, on with the story, shall we! : )**

Upon finding he had lead himself into the kitchen instead of his quarters, Athos beat his fist forcefully against the wall, accidentally causing what he assumed was a painting, to fall off and crack its glass upon its harsh landing at his feet.

_Damn it all, could nothing go right!? _Athos' thoughts screamed out in frustration.

Grinding his teeth together, Athos bent and slowly slid to his knees, cautiously sending his fingers out to search and retrieve the painting but somehow avoid the glass.

Unable to see what he was doing, Athos almost immediately pricked his finger on a particularly jagged shard, drawing out a hiss and a curse from its owner, and drawing the attention of Treville whom had just entered.

Spotting his best man kneeling in the shadows by the wall, hands roaming through glass and cursing discreetly, Treville quickly turned from his task to aid his friend, dragging him to his feet.

"Athos, my friend, what on _earth _are you doing looking like that -and crawling around on the floor no less?" he questioned, concern creeping into his voice.

Athos taken aback by the random question of appearance, raised an eyebrow of his own, thinking about what it implied as he subconsciously began to pick at the glass splint he could not see.

Noticing that Athos seemed as lost as he was about the query, if not more so, Treville assumed that his purple tainted visage was the work of his mischievous friends -and not a new taste in fashion.

From here it was easy to figure out the reason for Athos' more than sour expression, almost hitting the nail on the head with his theories as he envisioned a purple Athos stumbling around town to the delight of all passer-by's.

Sighing quietly and rolling his eyes at their antics, Treville gently took hold of Athos' arm and lead him towards the adjacent staircase, ordering him to head to the lavatory on the right while he ordered up some hot water for a bath.

Slowly piecing together the puzzle of Trevilles' inquiry to his purple attire and the town square fiasco, Athos cursed yet again and dashed up the stairs, grateful that at least someone was looking out for what remained of his pride.

Finding the handle to the door the lavatory, Athos quickly flew inside and slammed it shut behind him, embarrassed yet relieved to finally hide out of sight from all who sought to mock him.

_So __**that **__was why he had been received all those coloured themed insults! He was purple! PURPLE FROM HEAD TO TOE!_

Athos shook his head furiously as if in denial, _he would get his revenge for this_!

Needing to do something with the energy he had acquired through sudden anger, Athos began to pace furiously in the ten foot space, one hand rubbing up and down the wall as he went, so he would not become lost.

_It was outrageous! A musketeer out in broad daylight to protect his king and country from foes of all kinds- while purple- was neither comforting nor threatening at all!_

_Purple didn__'__t even suit him anyway! -Black and red was fine, sure, as trimmings but PURPLE!? _

_Purple was for maidens in waiting, the colour of delicate lilacs in pleasant meadows, the colour of __**wild berries**__. _

Athos gritted his teeth at the thought, he would certainly be more hesitant to drink any wine that may contain wild berries for some time to come after this humiliating disaster!

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, "Come in" Athos grated out, trying to leave the edge out of his voice but failing to do so.

"It is only I" Treville assured, brining in buckets of what Athos knew was the warm bath water.

After he had finished filling up the tub, Treville headed discreetly towards the door, not wanting to encroach on Athos' vulnerability.

Before he could exit, Athos put out a hand, catching his breast and causing him to turn in question, to see Athos glancing at him with shining eyes, offering his silent thanks.

Treville nodded his acknowledgement, then upon realizing it had not been seen, placed firm fingers on Athos' shoulder, "You'll be okay, Athos" he promised holding their stance for a moment before he left hurriedly once more.

He had a few special men to debrief it seemed.

**There has always been an observable bond between Athos and Treville, more so than the others so I thought id just flesh it out and make it slightly more prominent here. There are more than four brothers present in Athos****'**** life anyway!**

**Please leave a review to let me know what you thought of it! Until next time!**


	11. The Debriefing

**Wow 9 reviews over night!? You guys have made a not so little girl **_**very **_**happy! You really made me grin with glee at such kind and humorous feedback! I****'****m literally over the moon at how you all recall your favourite parts of the plot or a characters****'**** turmoil, it makes me feel special to have written it and more importantly ever so happy at the communal involvement that we are creating together *hugs***

**I intended to transition back to Athos in this chapter and show the aftermath of the boys at the end rather than the actual meeting but our lovely guest, Sarah was expecting a debrief, so for you, I have conjured one!**

**Sorry about the late update- I have been out all day for a change ;) The original chapter will be posted right after this one though! (so 2 chapters!)  
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**I hope you enjoy!**

It was nearing evening as Treville stepped out into the cool brisk air, white jets of warm air running from his mouth and nose encouraging him to tighten his jacket against the biting wind and shove his stiffening, gloved hands into his deep pockets.

Squinting through the snow, he took a cursory glance around, the street was now half lit and covered in a thin layer of untouched snow. _Not many people seemed to be out at this hour__…__meaning the boys would probably be holed up at the closest tavern._

Walking slowly as to avoid slipping on patches of ice, Treville made his way to the Rams Head, _it seemed fitting what with how bull headed his men could be _and he smirked at this.

Pushing wide the heavy oak door, Treville quickly stepped into the glorious warmth of the tavern, smiling as he watched the patrons drinking merrily, singing off key hearty songs and warming their boots by the fire place.

Most of the men were his own musketeers, spending their coin on the social life and having a good time doing it. As expected, Porthos, Aramis and D'artagnan were present too, though none of them seemed to be joining in with the celebratory mood.

Instead they were glaring at one another, bickering and accusing each other about the mistreatment of their dear friend, Athos, trying to saddle the blame onto a primary suspect -which at the moment turned out to be the youngest member of the group, D'artagnan.

Shaking his head as Aramis pushed Porthos over accusing the boy and Porthos in turn shoving him back forcefully, Treville quickly stepped into the verbal arena and placed himself between the two, stopping the brawl before it could undoubtedly start.

"No offence captain but I don't need your protection over this matter" Aramis declared, trying to twist around the man to grab at Porthos. Treville simply gave him 'the look;' a scathingly ferocious stare that could make even the most fearsome of men back down.

Upon meeting 'the look,' Aramis did just that, even taking a step back to be sure he did not incur its wrath while staring at his boots shamefully.

Porthos seemed to enjoy this particular punishment for a moment but his snickering abruptly died when Treville turned to give him the same treatment, effectively 'disarming' him too.

Meanwhile D'artagnan looked on with an innocent expression though his eyes shone in delight.

"Take a seat" Treville instructed, his men almost tripping themselves up in haste to obey until finally they all faced across from each other around the table, three pairs of eyes looking down nervously, one pair of steely blues judging them harshly.

"It would appear that you men have taken advantage of our dear friend, Athos, on your duty through the town today" Treville bluntly reported, drilling holes into their scalps.

"Would you care to explain yourselves or would you rather I point out your immensely dim witted flaws and pick your punishments for you?" he stated, forcing his men to give him their full attention.

Coughing nervously, Aramis approached the tender subject first, "Well you see, it all began because we were trying to keep Athos from one of his moods, you know, when he drags himself down into his drunken states" he began.

Porthos chose to add to this positive trail of thought, "-yeah, an' so D'artagnan here-" he clapped him on the shoulder, "came up with a brilliant solution" he concluded, handing the metaphorical hot potato over to D'artagnan, putting him on the spot.

"er, yeah, I um, well…" D'artagnan stumbled around his words under Treville's expectant, barely composed stare, " er…WE decided to play a few games with Athos, you know, just a few jokes between men to keep his spirits up" D'artagnan alluded, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes darting around.

Aramis leant forward as if to seem more convincing, arms beckoning as if he were trying to sell something "some may call these jokes pranks, but what is a prank really?" he smiled charmingly, Porthos' head bobbing up and down rapidly.

Treville didn't move, "Go on" he commanded, three guilty eyes coming to meet each other, swallowing anxiously.

Porthos cleared his throat before continuing, pulling at his uniform to loosen its seemingly tight neck, "Well one _may _got out of hand_…"_he admitted quietly.

"But we didn't mean for it to!" D'artagnan blurted out desperately.

"We couldn't possibly have foreseen that he would fall off his horse too" Aramis stated matter-of-factly though seemed to be trying to convince himself at the same time.

There was an intense silence as each man stared wild eyed at Treville, hoping to have soothed his angry mood.

"So, what you're telling me is, you pranked Athos and it went disastrously wrong…" Treville summarized, staring at each man and receiving quick nods of approval.

"Though of course you failed to mention that you had dragged him around town for _two hours, _tainted with purple berries and clothing-making him look _most _unprofessional and then letting him fall dangerously from his horse into the filthy street, allowing civilians to taunt him mercilessly and destroy what was left of his pride, confidence and self esteem" Treville finished icily.

By this point, Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan all held an extremely guilty, pained expression dominating their features, reminding them of their initial guilty admissions before they had turned on each other.

"You should all be _disgraced _with yourselves" Treville suddenly barked, making them flinch in unison. "I for one, am _very _disappointed in your behaviour, both as musketeers and close brothers of Athos" Treville continued, not bothering to disguise his cool demeanour any longer.

"So, as punishment, you will each be attending to guard detail outside the palace walls, on night shift for the next _month_-" Treville growled, "- share responsibilities for maintaining the stables for every musketeer in the regiment for the next _two _months, and apologizing to Athos, immediately and begging him for his forgiveness for acting as such lowly scum in his hour of need" Treville ended, now towering above them as they looked away at the floor in fear.

Seeing that he had made himself clear, Treville turned from the table and stormed out of the door, the tavern seeming to become brighter at his exit, leaving three very shaken musketeers with grim expression across their pale faces.

Once out the door and back into the night air, Treville rolled his tense shoulders and let out a long slow breath, a smile coming to his lips as he began to laugh quietly.

_Yup, I__'__ve still got it _he concluded cheerfully and began walking back to the garrison, a new hop in his step.

**I hoped you liked the humour of Captain Trevilles impact on the boys and the underlying pain they endured in this chapter! Please leave a review and let me know!**


	12. A Compromise- of sorts

**The plot will continue to tie together from this point on, id say we are a little more than half way now- at a guess- so things should remain somewhat lighter!**

**Thanks for the kind words again! Here****'****s the next chapter!**

After what had felt like glorious hours of rinsing in warm suds and ridding himself of his purple painted 'passenger,' though was actually a mere twenty minutes, Athos quickly began to dress himself -in what he had been promised- was a brand new uniform bought by his brothers.

_The most important part of this information being that this uniform was NOT purple._

Flicking up the collar on his leather jacket and smoothing the newly stiffened fabric out of the arms, Athos took a moment to reflect on his earlier behaviour, feeling somewhat childish now that he weighed the actual cost of his situation.

_No one had died, or been at risk of dying. _

_They had not been under attack. _

_The situation was not compromised. _

…_It had been a mere prank among brothers which had gone slightly south, nothing wrong with a little fun at the expense of their leader._

Athos shook his head and looked down to where his feet would be, ashamed and a little embarrassed at his earlier outrage -and then leaving his brothers on purpose so they could wallow in guilt.

He quickly tucked and folded his leather gloves into the side of his belt, he wouldn't need them this evening lest he lose his wits again and find the overwhelming urge to slap one of his men upside the head.

Smiling at the thought, the last of Athos' anger drained away -just like the purple tainted water that now ran down the plug hole, taking his pained feelings with it- and finally feeling like his calm self again.

Letting go of his grudges and replacing them with an understanding humour and perhaps a smidge of guilt, Athos' smile broadened into a grin, staring up into the constant blackness where he was sure his mirror stood.

He already knew his face was betraying his notoriously cool demeanour, he didn't need the aid of a reflection to tell him so -his minds eye could still see _everything _just as clearly, if not more lately.

_Perhaps this blind thing is teaching me a lesson in temperament_, Athos mused.

Taking the time to roll up the rims of his cuffed sleeves and straighten the hat upon his head, Athos silently pondered how he would approach his brothers and offer them the forgiveness they deserved, plus his own heart felt apologies over the immature behaviour he had displayed earlier.

_He did not want to come off as __'__easily forgiving__'__ to his friends, for such a sudden gesture that lead to no punishments may encourage more bolder and mischievous acts- _something he planned to avoid from now on.

_Then again, he could not address them too stiffly, for they would assume he felt obliged, as leader, to offer them an apology, though clearly not mean it judged by his demeanour._

Wiping a hand across his face, Athos sighed.

_He spent more time thinking about and organizing his brothers feelings than he did his own! Couldn__'__t they all just relax for one day without causing such a mess! _

He rolled his eyes in amusement before settling into more serious thoughts.

_His brothers had held good intentions when they had subjugated him to his purple attire, merely wanting him to laugh at their antics as they had become accustomed to each time, trying to tear him from the misery blindness could bring._

Now convinced that _he _had made more of an error in judgement than they had, Athos rolled his eyes for a second time.

_Leave it to him to always have to be the one to fix things around here, _Athos thought.

He was still annoyed at what they had unwittingly forced him through but he could not be angry at them forever. _And though he may not hold a grudge that did not mean revenge was not in order__…_

His eyes lit up mischievously at the thought, as Athos suddenly knew how to deal with his brothers.

Ready to go, Athos almost stopped to take a glance around the room as had become his accustomed habit, his smile faltering slightly as his surroundings remained as black as ever.

He almost sought to leave his eyes closed at all times and probably would have if not for the sake of his brothers -who found it pessimistic and unnerving.

Attempting to keep his mind on the optimistic side of life, Athos nodded once to himself for encouragement and turned towards the door, opening it wide and heading down the creaking steps once again, intent on finding his brothers.

He should not be so uptight and care of his appearance or name so highly- after all it was his brothers that mattered most and he had left them to suffer

Upon reaching the first floor landing of the garrison, Athos noted the eerie quietness -feeling the empty space around him more than hearing it.

"Hello?" he called, shuffling forwards, arms out and searching for a new wall.

"They're at the Rams Head tavern" Trevilles voice came from behind him.

Had their been a weapon in his hand, Athos was sure his captain would have been shot and decapitated within seconds of revealing himself.

_He was now glad he had thought it wise to leave them up in his room, he wouldn__'__t need them now anyway, let alone use them._

Instead Athos had spun around in fright, his defensive position and tense muscles relaxing almost as soon as they had stiffened as he recognized the voice and its owner.

"I do beg your pardon, Athos. I sometimes forget how unnerving it must be for you if I do not present myself" Treville grumbled, stepping around his panting man, rubbing him on the shoulder as he passed.

Shaking his head in apology, Athos follow the footsteps with a reply, " 'Tis not your fault, sir, though I wouldn't mind if you announced yourself from here on out" he jested with an air of formality, attempting to hold some humour in what he began to feel was an awkward situation, a question rising in his mind.

Coming to a stop, at an unknown point in the room, Treville faced Athos knowingly, feeling the man wanting to ask him a question but obviously thinking about how to go about stating it first.

He smiled, it seemed that with his sight gone, Athos had forgone schooling his features as he commonly did, his feelings and thoughts now on the outside for all to see.

"Don't worry yourself, Athos, I'll take you there" Treville announced, beating him to the punch line and wrapping his cloak around his shoulders properly.

Setting off out the door with Athos in tow, the two men headed back out into the crisp air of January towards their friend filled tavern, snow drops continuing to flutter down around them from the heavens bursting above.

**Hope you weren****'****t too bored by the ranting of this chapter, I felt the need to flesh out Athos****'**** personal thoughts and feelings as he went through the motions of overcoming his woes and taking the responsibility- as he always does- to look after his brothers.**

**At least we know they will be in for a shock for his little visit!**

**And by the way, this story is not over yet-until Athos wreak his revenge. (So we still have a short way to go yet!)**

**Please leave a review to let me know what you think! Until next time, my pretties!**


	13. Reconciliation & Revenge

**Considering all the lovely support ive been getting lately, and the ever looming start date of season 2, I decided it best to update a with a third instalment today -or at least my western timed day- to reward you all and keep ahead of things!**

**So below is a somewhat long chapter I feel you will derive much satisfaction from- I realize I am talking in a historical banter at present but I have become so used writing its flowing terms for the mouths of others that I now speak it most often, guffaw, chortle, chortle ; )**

**Any how, do enjoy! **

Leaving Athos to his own devices at the foot of the tavern, the men parted ways wishing one another a good night.

Before entering, Athos remained on the small doorstop, working up his courage to face everyone again after such an embarrassing morning. He put his hand on the heavy wooden door and berated his cowardly behaviour as he began searching for reasons as to why he was doing this again.

As he pondered, Athos noted the fine details he was picking up on now that he could not see…_like each grain in the wood of the door, the peculiar feeling of the knot in its centre, the raised splinters, the cool feel__…_

Shaking his head out of his reverie, Athos forced himself to confront his worries and _man the hell up_, it was too cold out here to making such a scene.

Barging through the door had not been the best idea in hindsight for Athos- as it slammed open against the wall loudly and brought the attention of everyone in the place.

Athos became aware of this based on the abrupt silence that met him unlike the lively chatter he'd heard from beyond the walls outside.

Coughing into his fist in embarrassment and hinting that they should return to their activities, Athos shuffled forwards into the tavern. Now he just had to find his men.

Or as it turned out, they found him.

Though under different circumstances the brothers would have waited to see what Athos would do and see whether he wanted to approach them or stay to himself.

However, under such special circumstances, as was the case, they could hardly leave Athos standing stock still in the tavern, blind and lost in the midst of its patrons, unable to navigate further without aid.

Taking pity on the scene, D'artagnan slowly paced over, announcing his intimate presence with a short 'Hey' before escorting Athos by the arm towards the back of the tavern by the fire where they had sat.

There was another awkward silence as Athos interrupted the argument Aramis and Porthos seemed to be consumed in, harsh words of accusation traded back and forth as they had no doubt turned their guilt at their fellow man and blamed them instead.

"Athos!" Aramis yelled out in surprise, rising to greet his friend, trauma forgotten.

_He would not wallow in self pity any longer,_ _hours alone with his own thoughts had taught him his lesson and he was now determined to make it up to Athos._

Porthos managed a friendly greeting but remained seated, head hung in shame as he was reminded of Athos' emotional face earlier in the street.

Athos quickly plopped down in his seat, D'artagnan standing behind him, hopping nervously from foot to foot as he debated whether he should push him closer to the table.

Deciding he was being a fool, he quickly rushed to his seat and began stuffing bread in his mouth should he try to say something idiotic next.

"Brothers-" Athos began, wasting no time as usual in getting to the point, "I have had much time to consider your actions earlier and have decided to forgive your for your sins" he announced, watching as they accomplished a complex range of expressions featuring pain, guilt, relief and joy.

"You must promise me, however, that you will _never _attempt such an evil spectacle again" he continued with a small grin, then added in a quieter more serious tone, "I also do hope you can forgive me for my childish tantrum earlier, that was unfair of me."

Porthos picked up one of the seven, half empty glasses from the table and raised it to Athos, once used to drown out their sorrows, now to celebrate their friendship.

"Don't worry yourself Athos, its us who should be sorry. I for one vow to seal my promise with a drink to you, my friend…. I am _deeply _sorry I ever caused you such pain but I _am _glad to have you back again" he admitted, happy relief flooding openly across his face.

Almost before he could finish, D'artagnan had grasped Athos' hand and offered his own sincere apology while Aramis battled hastily for attention so he too could do the same.

Athos let loose a grin and slapped each brother on the back, _he had been right to come here and do this. It didn__'__t feel right rubbing against his brothers in conflict, they were meant to stand and act as one, not stand alone and act against each other._

Athos raised a glass in the air signalling a toast as a somewhat treaty and toast to good health while D'artagnan, Porthos and Aramis followed his lead, comforted by the closure this gesture brought.

Raising their glasses to their mouths and taking a healthy swig, Athos was disappointed to find there had been nothing left in his glass.

Frowning and setting it on the table, his hands reached out and tested each glass for its weight, eventually finding one and knocking it back.

Too late to stop him, the men protested the action, great concern in their voices -but could do nothing as Athos' mouth filled with thick, hot _gravy_.

Unfortunately for Athos, the gravy had _just _been placed on the table -meant to accompany the rich meal that was to be delivered at any moment.

This also meant that the gravy was not just warm but _very _hot.

Shocked from the taste, texture and close to scalding temperatures, Athos leapt to his feet, backing away to let the cup of gravy fall to the floor and smash into pieces, attention elsewhere while he continued to spit madly, desperate to free his mouth from the most unpleasant feeling.

Once he had calmed down and relieved the heat, Aramis offered his empty hand a flannel for his face while he wiped clean his, steadily soaking, doublet front with another, Porthos heading to the bar to collect a cool glass of water while D'artagnan stifled his laughs.

When Athos was clean as he was going to get, everyone simultaneously broke out into hysterics, quickly bent double over the image of Athos covered in gravy, tears flowing from their eyes and down their cheeks as they clutched at their painful, aching ribs and locked jaws.

This was certainly a story for the ages -and noticeably trumped even the entertainment of all their pranks combined!

Athos had even joined in the laughter at one point, showing his good natured side before simmering down to wash out his burning mouth with a _real _drink.

He smiled over his glass at the sounds of his brothers, hearing a thump as one fell to the floor in peels of laughter.

_Oh they might be laughing now, _Athos mused _but he doubted the same would be true come morning, as they rued the day they ever took advantage of him._

As the hour struck one, each brother staggered up the stairs to seek out the comforts of his bed and fall asleep, all too drunken to notice that their friend, Athos, was taking more time than was necessary in the lavatory he'd ventured off to.

This prolonged time was in fact due to Athos having cautiously crept back downstairs to roam the floors and gather his fellow man, of whom he was now asserting his power over so that they may aid him in organizing 'official plans.'

After collecting the necessary materials for such a plan- consisting of ropes and dozens of crates filled with fresh blueberries - Athos propped his feet up and pulled out a celebratory bottle of his favourite wine, pouring himself a healthy dose while trying to imagine the looks of horror on his brothers faces when they awoke to an unsuspecting hellish spectacle.

Athos chuckled as he stretched himself out comfortably, setting his hat over his eyes and listening with glee at hearing the thumping noises from above, as his sleeping friends were unwittingly removed from their beds.

_Revenge was going to be __'__sweet__'__ after all._

**Haha! Now who gets the last laugh!****…****oh, it was me, just now****…****oops!**

**Anyone want to guess what the ropes and blueberries are for?**

**Leave a review please! Until next time!**


	14. Sweet Sweet Revenge

**So here****'****s what you****'****ve all probably been waiting for, for some time! Athos teaches his brothers a lesson! ): )**

**- also a big surprise in the beginning that I hope you****'****ll like****…****so why are you still reading this sentence!? Go, get reading! ; ) Enjoy!**

_It was like Christmas had come early -or more appropriately, it had come late_…were Athos' first conscious thoughts, excitement rising in his chest as he imagined the look on his brothers faces when they woke up this morning.

He had forced himself to bed as soon as his scheme had been put into place, hoping to wake up before them all and hear their outraged and embarrassed cries as they found themselves: tied to the monument in the centre of the city, clad only in their boots, weapons and undergarments, a thick blueberry paint smeared from their heads to their toes.

He grinned devilishly, eyes crinkling in the corners as a fit of giggles poured uncontrollably from his lips, _he was so excited!_

_I should wake like this more often _Athos deduced, _it was the best way to start a day!_

Swivelling out of his sheets intending to take a seated position on the bed, Athos' leg accidentally caught the edge of his chair, knocking both his prepared clothes and half a bottle of last nights wine to the floor.

The loud noise and sudden contact startled Athos and his eyes flew wide instinctively to quickly take note of the empty threat and then sigh in annoyance as the uncorked wine spilled out across his clothes, staining them. Again.

Shaking his head Athos got to his feet and reached over to pick them up off the floor -though he never completed the task.

Freezing halfway in shock, Athos' early morning brain suddenly caught up with an astonishing realization…he had SEEN it.

Collapsing back on his bed and eyeballing his shaky hands, Athos felt his heart freeze in his chest, as he moved his hands in front of his and tracked their movement with his eyes, trying to test that this was not some cruel dream, magical prank or hallucination or some kind.

Pinching the goose bumped flesh on his thigh and feeling pain Athos concluded that this was indeed the real world.

_He. Could__…__ SEE!_

Athos shot to his feet in amazement, his earlier glee for the morning ahead now tripling in size until he could hardly breathe, fists clenched at his sides, ready to run through the streets of Paris just to _see _it all again.

It was then that a niggling, precautionary thought of logic entered Athos' mind and advised him to calm down his racing heart -lest he suffer some new evil and restrictive injury.

Stilling himself in that instant, Athos sat contentedly on his bed, drinking in his room hungrily from an entirely new perspective, taking in all of its plain furnishings and simple trimmings with new respect and gratefulness.

Athos then caught sight of the early dawn sunlight streaming though the window at his bedside.

Springing to his feet once more, Athos fumbled at his stained garments -no longer caring that they were ruined now that he could _see _them- and eagerly dressed himself, racing out of his room and practically flying above the stairs on his lightening descent to the first floor.

Almost barrelling over a tired looking Treville who had just turned the corner, Athos raised his hat at the man, grabbed his face and placed a brotherly kiss on his five o clock shadow, leaving the man staring after him stunned while Athos continued to flee out the door without pausing for an explanation.

Bewildered at the sudden mental transformation of his man, Treville raced after Athos and out of the door, spying him racing away down the street, running awkwardly as he tried to pull his sleeves through his jacket that he had not bothered to waste time donning back in his room.

The chase continued right through town, Treville calling after Athos numerous times before almost running into a store beam as Athos flashed a smile over his shoulder, clear blue eyes meeting his own with recognition sparking in them.

_By god, he could see again! Treville realized._

And with that answer, Treville stopped running to instead bend over and brace shaking arms filled with adrenaline against his knees, panting heavily as he bent double for much needed breath.

_He was getting too old for all this drama._

Undeterred from the sudden loss of his following companion, Athos used all of his joy filled energy to run like the wind down the street towards his destination, mouth open wide in a grin, tears streaking behind him as he took in the snow for the first time in weeks.

After a few minutes more, Athos had reached the monument in no time, taking a moment to lean against a far wall with a good vantage point as he _observed _his painted brothers still snoring away, blissfully unaware of their state.

He would treasure this day forever Athos acknowledged, this would be so much funnier now that he would be able to _witness _the shock on their faces as they came to.

Fighting the urge to wake them early, Athos waited until a fair number of civilians began to fill the streets and go about their daily work, but took a moment to gawk and laugh hysterically as they spotted the three men on the monument.

Athos snickered along with them as he climbed up a stack of semi-filled vegetable crates against his wall, all in hopes of getting a proper view above the heads of the steadily forming crowd in front of him.

_He wasn__'__t going to miss their reaction for the world._

After many anxious minutes had passed slowly by and yet nothing had happened, Athos began to get impatient over the fact that they could continue to sleep.

And so, scanning his perch happily for heavy objects, Athos picked up a particularly vile looking potato and lobbed it towards the three men.

When the first potato only managed to nudge the foot of Porthos but encourage no more movement, Athos picked up a second potato and pitched it more forcefully at his brothers

This time, the potato struck Aramis harshly on the forehead and bounced off into Porthos' lap, bringing Aramis screaming into the world and startling his brothers into acute awareness.

Athos hadn't meant for it to land where it had but he still beamed evilly as he watched his brothers eyes dart around blearily, an intense expression of utter confusion settling on their faces as they took in their frosty, public surroundings, attention drawn over to the unknown female civilians who threw cat calls their way.

Knitting his brows together, Aramis attempted to rise from his slouched position, worry rising throughout his body as he found he could not do so for the tightened ropes that held his arms.

Looking left to where he felt Porthos' arm rested against his own and hoping to ask him for aid, Aramis let out a surprised gasp when he saw the appearance of his blue smeared, _almost _naked friend, his mouth hanging agape in shock.

"Porthos! What happened to you!?" D'artagnan called over his right shoulder to the blue man in the middle -suddenly noticing that, Aramis too, looked exactly the same, to his horror.

"What do you mean me? Look at you!" Porthos choked out in a hearty laugh, not yet noticing his own predicament.

D'artagnan looked down to examine his own appearance just as Aramis did the same, the two men shrieking out in both outrage and embarrassment at their barely clad, blue frames.

Curling their legs into their cold chests in an attempt to block out their naked fronts from public view with their blue painted legs, Athos let out a shrill cry of laughter, rising above that of the crowds' below and drawing the keen eyes of Aramis' to his lofty position.

Mouth agape at Athos' acknowledging stare and the fact that he had got them back for their earlier pranks, Aramis nudged his struggling brothers and turned their attention to their suspiciously blue handed brother now standing atop the crates, grinning at them.

Though the two brothers now went through the shock of seeing Athos _looking _at them, Aramis pushed aside what would be their celebrations for later, and instead asked for his immediate aid.

"Athos! Pleas, brother, free us! I beg of you!" Aramis called pleadingly, the crowd drawing further amusement from his words and began twisting them into something more rude while they continued to tease him for his 'attire.'

Attempting to ignore them, his brothers echoed Aramis' pleas and strained in their bonds as Athos calmly jumped down from his crates and swaggered to the front of the crowd towards them, causing them to notice how he proudly wore his purple stained uniform, a highly entertained smirk on his smug face.

"_Very _good morning, is it not?" Athos stated matter-of-factly, eyes twinkling as he looked over their blue forms and pleading eyes.

"Why you-" D'artagnan growled, struggling even more against his bonds as he glared at Athos heatedly, not caring about his mentors restored sight for the moment.

_This was personal now._

In an attempt to gain sympathy from the man, Aramis agreed with his remark instantly, "Yes, yes Athos! Whatever you say! Now please, brother, have some mercy and free us" he whispered desperately, eyes flicking to the civilians still calling at him from behind Athos' back.

Athos shook his head, grin fading to his usual smirk, "I'm afraid not brother" Athos replied, then turned himself swiftly away from the scene, heading for his breakfast back at the garrison while happily noting their stunned silence and momentary cease of motion over his shoulder.

"_Do _join me later when you appear more decent" he teased and turned his twinkling eyes back to the bustling street ahead.

_Ah, revenge was sweet -and almost always served best when cold _Athos confirmed, a new, toothy wide grin splitting out across his face.

**I had a ton of fun writing this chapter! Please let me know what you thought of it! **

**Thanks again for the amazing reviews!**

**2 chapters left *smiley/sad face emoji* how do you think it will turn out? ;)**

**-sarah, thank you for your eager reviews and kind words, I really really appreciate you following my chapters so closely and giving me such immediate- and positive-feedback. It****'****s **_**really **_**motivational and touching to me, so a sincere thanks to everything I was not able to reply to along the way, you made me smile all the same! : )**


	15. Escape

**Thanks for the amazing reviews once again! There****'****s only this chapter and the following left now, but I****'****m really glad you guys stuck with me on this since I wasn****'****t too confident in the beginning. You clearly proved me wrong and gave us all-including me- a great story, so thank you sincerely for your motivation and support! **

**Now, for the next chapter!**

Stricken to the core as they watched their brother calmly leave them at the mercy of all in Paris to see and taunt, Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan quickly overcame their shock of Athos' betrayal and tugged in vain at their restrictive bonds.

Grunting and heaving as Porthos pulled at the ropes with all his might, it suddenly dawned on him that the last time they had found themselves in a similar situation, their hides had been saved by a lucky blade stored in the boots of one, loveable Gascon.

Eyes flicking over to said boy, Porthos called out, "Oi! You still got that knife on you, D'artagnan?" the hopeful sentence catching Aramis' attention from his ropes to turn and stare at him before slowly looking over to D'artagnan, prayers on his mind.

D'artagnan froze as his eyes lit up, looking at his boot and back at his brothers, "… I- I don't know… I cant feel anything-" he stated, wiggling his leg against the interior to feel for lumps "…one of you will have to check!" he commanded.

Having been placed between his squirming brothers, it was now down to Porthos to save them from their humiliating position, D'artagnan attempting to swivel his free lower torso to meet Porthos' stretching hands that he had snaked from the back of the pole, around to his hip.

_Good job the boys__'__ young __'__n flexible _Porthos mused… _knew he__'__d be good for something!_

Straining to feed his wrist down D'artagnans' boots and feel around for the knife, Aramis could only stare at his knees, his cheeks aflame with embarrassment.

_Oh how he deeply regretted pranking Athos now._

"Aha!" Porthos declared triumphantly, slowly pulling a knife from D'artagnans left boot, their faces showing relief at the idea of possible escape.

"Whatever you do, Porthos, do NOT drop it" Aramis warned. H_e would never forgive the man if he dropped it, never._

After some brutally sharp tugs at the rope fibres with the edge of the knife, Porthos finally freed his sore wrists from his bonds, wasting no time in turning to his brothers to free them also.

It was a humiliating retreat but a retreat none the less as the three brothers high tailed it back to the safe walls of the garrison, trying to put as much distance between the monument and themselves as they dashed past shocked onlookers in only their blue tainted underwear, swords and spurs jingling all the way.

By the time they had reached the safe confines of their rooms, much to the amusement of their fellow musketeers in the courtyard -whom Aramis noticed, had shared suspiciously sly smiles at the misfortune of their comrades- each man was out of breath.

Panting as they continued to pace around the room, seeking their garments and hastily putting them on, Aramis took advantage of the moment and locked the door to the lavatory, keen on washing off his blue paint, first.

Before long he was happily soaking himself in the tub, embarrassment somewhat forgotten as Porthos and D'artagnan rammed against the door, demanding their turn for a rinse.

It had been a long wait of course but eventually, Aramis had allowed them in, having the curtsey to wait in their adjoining rooms so they may head down to the kitchen and address Athos together.

Unlike Aramis, Porthos did not bother to wash so much as _wipe _off the paint with water -taking almost no time at all.

And though D'artagnan _may _have taken the time to care for his appearance, like Aramis, as he normally would, he was eager to settle a score with his mentor.

Now free from their blueberry paint and clad in proper uniforms, Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan walked briskly to the kitchens, their heads bowed as they attempted to hide their now notorious faces from the public.

As they entered the kitchen moodily, Athos quickly walked up to them from his waiting seat and embraced them all in a hug.

Taken off guard by his unnatural show for affection -and lack of fear over their threatening glares- they limply hugged Athos back.

Lost in their thoughts as to how to go about being angry again, Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan allowed themselves to be lead by Athos, for the first time in weeks, to his table.

As each man sat stiffly, Athos cocked his head to the side and said but one word, "Truce?"

Porthos, the first to break from his reverie such his head vehemently in protest and wagging a finger seriously.

"Nah, nah, nah brother, you aint gonna get away with that stunt _that _easily. We've gotta get you back, yet…and then _you _can admit defeat" he finished with a smile.

D'artagnan' mood lightened at hearing this proposition and grinned at Athos, his reaction confirming his support for Porthos' mischievous suggestion.

Athos eyed Aramis wearily from across the table, "And where, pray tell, do you stand in this?"

Aramis' finished picking his teeth idly with a toothpick and stroked his moustache in mock consideration, "As much as I'd _love _to join you ladies in this, I daren't risk involving myself in another such adventure" he replied smoothly, beginning to stand.

"Besides, I have a date with Ms. Canterbury this evening and would be very much put out if I were to be covered in blueberries -or something worse" he declared, cringing as he recalled the most embarrassing moment of his entire life.

Just then, serge, the musketeer regiments' loyal cook, strode from the confines of his sectioned off kitchen into the dining room where they all sat -a blueberry pie carried out atop a platter as a late 'thank you lunch' for their help last month for retrieving new wine barrels.

At seeing the pie, Athos began to beam while his brothers all took a collective shiver, Aramis seeming to par take in a nervous twitch as he eyed the seemingly innocent pie as if it were a snake in need of killing, immediately.

"Anybody up for pie?" Athos suggested, offering his brothers the first slice, all of whom refused, horrified.

"Oh well, all the more for me then" he said with a smile, cutting out a slice and digging in, eyes watching as Aramis suddenly made a break for the door.

Athos grinned evilly up at his fleeing form, not feeling guilty for his brothers misfortune in the slightest.

_It appeared that Aramis felt he would be safest if he distanced himself from his brothers as they arranged an agreement over the conditions of pranking -though he would find himself sadly mistaken _Athos mused.

_They would surely drag him into this mess as surely the sun would come up tomorrow, involving him later on in their vengeful schemes. _

Before Aramis had the pleasure of escaping into the street however, Treville stepped into the door and blocked the exit with his frame.

Refusing to move aside, Treville declared his business to his face, "I've come here to instruct you and your mischievous brothers on the whereabouts of your evening post -a duty that will begin in only a few hours I might add" he stated with a smirk.

Sagging in defeat, Aramis turned back into the room and awaited his brothers company, the men of whom stood grudgingly and finally, dragging their feet, went to join him, miserable expressions completing their poor posture.

Eyebrow arched in question, Treville took a moment to explain the situation to Athos before leaving him once more to his pie and escorting the mischievous three to the palace to make sure they stayed at their posts.

Athos bit into his pie once more, smirk breaking out as he chewed, _this was the best day ever._

**I hope you liked it though I****'****m sure the boys didn****'****t ;) -well, all but Athos and Treville that is!**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! One more chapter to go! Until next time!**


	16. Guard Duty'

**We made it! Yaaaay! Thanks so much for following me on this journey, I really appreciate the review/faves/follows more than you****'****ll ever know. I hope you like this ending!**

"Ugh, why does it have to be so bloody cold!" Aramis whined from his position on the wall, grumpy face lit half in the moonlight, half hidden in shadows, his form trembling slightly as he tucked his gloved hands under his armpits for warmth.

"Oh shut up with yer' whining, Aramis. Its winter, of' course its gonna be cold! We've all gotta stand here too…" Porthos replied grumpily, rubbing his stiff fingers together as he peered out across the snowy lawn before bringing his hands to his face once more and blowing heat onto them.

D'artagnan looked over to his brothers and rolled his eyes. _He blamed them for his misery._

"Yeah? Well _you _try staying silent when it feels like your fingers are going to snap off!" Aramis retorted angrily, hopping slightly from one foot to the other as he tried to encourage circulation through his limbs, glaring at Porthos as he dared him to answer.

"_All _of our fingers feel like that, Aramis" D'artagnan sighed, "We're not as invincible as you may want to believe" he finished good naturedly.

"Speak for yourself" Porthos huffed, drawing a disbelieving glance from both Aramis and D'artagnan.

A moment of silence passed as Aramis and D'artagnan shared an unnerving look.

"So you wouldn't mind it then if we were to cram some snow into your gloves?" Aramis challenged.

"-And down your back" D'artagnan added, an eerie smile on his face as he turned to his brother, face now fully cast in shadows though his eyes glinted through in excitement.

Looking _slightly _like a cornered animal, the beginnings of fear in his eyes, Porthos took a step back and raised his arms in defence.

"Now don't you start nothing or I'll make you regret it" he warned, backing up even more as the mischievous pack of smiling wolves continued to advance on his position.

Before Porthos could react, Aramis had swept his legs out from under him and the two men had pinned him down, grabbing handfuls of snow and trying to force them inside his jacket as he squirmed and bucked, pulling at their hair and pushing at their faces.

"Now hold still…Porthos….this….will only…sting a bit" Aramis panted, trying to effectively pin his brother so he could worm his snow covered palm between the flailing limbs.

Suddenly a fist shot up and out of the commotion, catching Aramis in the jaw and knocking him backwards, his body leaving a starfish imprint as he landed heavily in the deep snowdrifts.

"HA! I told..you..not..to mess with me!" Porthos huffed out as he struggled against the energetic D'artagnan, but quickly gained the upper hand thanks to their difference in body ratios and reversed their positions, shovelling snow into D'artagnans' face and trying to hold it down.

Arms flailing, D'artagnan cried out, trying to raise himself up from the ground in vain and buck Porthos off.

It was the combined weight and strength of the man that was proving to be the a damning issue at the moment.

"We've been too generous with the rations again!" D'artagnan squealed to Aramis rising form, hoping to distract Porthos' efforts as he struggled all the more frantically.

Unaware of the danger that lurked behind him, Aramis, now recovered from the unseen blow, leapt to D'artagnan rescue and knocked Porthos flying from his back, sitting on his chest to hold him down, a fire in his eyes as he tried to shove a hefty snowball into Porthos' mouth.

"Eat this you slimy…no good…heathen" Aramis grunted, his fist trying to follow Porthos' open mouth as the man shook his head violently from side to side and continued to resist.

"Ech hem!" Athos coughed loudly from behind the disaster zone, amusement lighting up his face as he watched his brothers tumble through the snow childishly.

_He knew they could never be trusted to perform this task in a respectful manner and he had been right, as usual._

Startled at the interruption, the brothers froze, three pairs of eyes glancing fearfully to the silhouetted man at their backs and sighing in relief when they figured out it was only Athos -and then continuing their brawl.

"Ech hem!" Athos called again, his arms now straining with the three balanced, warm mugs his brothers had seemed oblivious to. _He would not be a patient man forever._

"Might want to get that cough checked out" Aramis called from the struggle, "lest you get a cold next" he jested.

Seeing that it was the only reaction he was going to get, Athos shook his head and strode over to his boys, setting the mugs carefully into the snow and then prying them apart roughly.

"Now unless you want to watch me down three warm brews, I suggest you thank me politely and DRINK them already!" Athos cried in frustration, walking back over to the mugs and picking them up carefully.

"What's the matter, Athos " D'artagnan teased unwisely, "-cant hold your liquor?" he mocked, wading over slowly.

"Well in that case-" Athos dared, raising the mugs to his mouth.

D'artagnan, Porthos and Aramis jumped over to his side desperately and snatched the mugs from his hands, holding them to their chests protectively or downing them quickly.

Athos smiled at the reaction, shaking his head in exasperation. _Knew it. _

Once they were done, Athos walked up to the wall and rested his back against it, tipping his hat slightly to allow the piling snow to fall from its brim.

"And waddaya think yer' doing, Athos?" Porthos inquired, eyeing his brother curiously as he stepped back over to his post at the wall.

Athos humoured Porthos and eyed him under the brim of his hat, "What does it look like im doing. I'm accompanying your post" he drawled, drawing a shrug of 'i_ts your own funeral__'_from his brother.

"It _looks _like your going soft" Aramis pointed out, teasing the man once more now that no mug of brew was at stake.

"Would you care to test that theory again, Aramis?" Athos dared coolly, turning his head slightly to stare unblinking at his brother.

Losing his nerve and thinking twice at provoking Athos again, Aramis backed off.

"On second thought, no, I shan't make the mistake of thinking you soft ever again!…No, you're much more of the cruel type instead."

At this moment Athos revealed a brown, heavenly smelling package from the insides of his breast pocket, "So I suppose I should return this 'cruel' gift then, shall I?" Athos started, holding them aloft.

"Aw, shut yer' trap Aramis or I'll shut it for you!" Porthos moaned, eyeing the bag of treats Athos now held suspended over a mound of nearby horse muck.

Not wanting to wait for what Aramis might do next, Porthos quickly took the package from Athos and began rummaging through its contents, handing out a small mince pie over to D'artagnan and offering another to Aramis.

As each man stuffed it hungrily in their mouths and chewed on it happily, Athos wrestled his aching cheeks into submission.

_He would not lose control now, damn it _Athos commanded his body, trying as hard as he could not to laugh but instead, appear impassive and nonchalant as per usual.

The reason for Athos' barely withheld fit of giggles, as it turned out, was the knowledge that the pies his brothers were now munching on had been laced with a rather nasty ingredient, one that held the power to encourage bowel movements- all of which was courtesy of Constance, once she had been told of the boys cruelty towards their leader.

Athos smiled as they ate.

_If this was the beginning of the prank war, how could he resist landing the first punch? He couldn't let them have all the fun, besides he heard this mischief thing was good for the nerves._

**~o0o~**

And so, for now, life had happily righted itself back to normal -or at least it had for the four musketeers, as for Treville, he was now forced to endure not three, but _four _grown men rushing around Paris, pranking each other like little children.

Treville had _almost _looked the other way, fully prepared to let them to suffer the consequences of their own pranks.

But alas, when he caught Athos tampering with muskets, Aramis with nauseating elixirs, D'artagnan with itching powder and Porthos cooking up a nasty surprise, he didn't just look, he _ran _in the other direction, fleeing for his safety.

**Mix of emotions right now, don****'****t know if I****'****m ecstatic to be done.. or sad because its over, but as Dr Seuss wisely stated, ****"****Don****'****t cry because its over, smile because it happened****"**** and so I****'****m beaming at my accomplishments and the many friends I****'****ve gained throughout the writing of this piece. 51 pages guys, congrats!**

**Thank you soooo much to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited! I couldn't have done it without you guys!**

**-As a side note, I have been making an outline for a monster story since chapter 7 in this one****…****.and when I got distracted on **_**that **_**story by yet another plot, I all but threw out my social life (gladly) and started work on them both! First one is already-partially- published, so if you****'****re looking for any of my future fics, search for ****'****Champ.****'**

**THANKS AGAIN! *HUUUUGGGGSSS* Until next time my lovelies! xox**


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